Condemned by Secrets (Rolling Brook Series #4)

Luther Monroe’s life is turned upside down when Rolling Brook’s new historic preservationist, 24-year-old Anna Hendricks, makes her way into town. Luther, a small-town police officer, is smitten by Anna when he stops to help her with what is believed to be a flat tire. Upon closer inspection, it appears that someone may have slashed her tire intentionally. What starts out as an investigation into who could have done this, Luther finds himself wanting something more with Anna. And as he continues to delve deeper into the investigation, he stumbles upon some secrets that could land both him and Anna in imminent danger.

“Condemned by Secrets” is a very fast-paced romantic suspense between two very likable characters. While there isn’t a lot of background information on the characters, they each have their own quirks that are hard not to love. Readers may find it difficult to believe in the relationship between Luther and Anna because of the momentum in which it progresses. Things get steamy rather quickly.  There are also parts of the story that could have been expanded on to give readers a little more time with the main characters, such as their first date. While those moments are reflected upon later, readers may benefit from a more in–the-moment narration rather than a few brief sentences of what happened. The suspense in the story is a bit lacking, but when the secrets do begin to unravel, readers are sure to be engaged by the twists and turns that take place. Ms. Donovan’s romantic writing style is bewitching and will leave readers wanting more from these two fiery characters.

Jennifer Shepherd